Nutrition Chapter 1: Total Energy in a Food Serving

Question

A serving of food contains 3 g alcohol, 6 mg cholesterol, 500 ml water, 25 g fat, 5 g protein, and 38 g carbohydrate. Based on this information, a serving of this food supplies ________ kcal.

  • 575
  • 636
  • 392
  • 418

Answer

A serving of this food supplies approximately 418 kcal.

The energy content of food is determined by its macronutrient composition. Each macronutrient provides a different amount of energy:

  • Carbohydrates and protein each provide about 4 kilocalories (kcal) per gram.
  • Fat provides about 9 kcal per gram.
  • Alcohol provides about 7 kcal per gram.

Cholesterol and water do not contribute to the energy content of food.

Given these figures, we can calculate the energy content of each macronutrient in the food serving:

  • Alcohol: 3 g * 7 kcal/g = 21 kcal
  • Fat: 25 g * 9 kcal/g = 225 kcal
  • Protein: 5 g * 4 kcal/g = 20 kcal
  • Carbohydrate: 38 g * 4 kcal/g = 152 kcal

Adding up these values gives the total energy content of the food serving:

21 kcal (Alcohol) + 225 kcal (Fat) + 20 kcal (Protein) + 152 kcal (Carbohydrate) = 418 kcal

Therefore, a serving of this food supplies approximately 418 kcal. 

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